Dodgers pitcher Scott Kazmir has been sidelined since Aug. 22 with thoracic spine inflammation, but Manager Dave Roberts said he will pitch for the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City in its best-of-five PCL championship series against El Paso.

PHOENIX – None of the three has pitched for the Dodgers in almost a month. But the door hasn’t been closed yet on injured starting pitchers Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy or Scott Kazmir.

Anderson had not pitched since Sept. 3 when he aggravated a blister on his index finger during a disastrous rehab outing with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga – he allowed six runs on nine hits in just two innings. But he pitched five strong innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, allowing one run on a solo home run and three hits overall. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out five while throwing 54 pitches.

The OKC Dodgers went on to win that game to stay alive in their best-of-five PCL championship series against El Paso. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said left-hander Scott Kazmir will pitch for Oklahoma City as the series continues. Kazmir has been sidelined since Aug. 22 with thoracic spine inflammation.

McCarthy, meanwhile, has not pitched for the Dodgers since losing touch with the strike zone during a worrisome three-start stretch in early August. McCarthy walked 15 batters and hit two others in just 8-1/3 innings. The Dodgers placed him on the DL with right hip soreness and he made a rehab start with Rancho Cucamonga on Sept. 5.

That didn’t go well either. He was charged with 10 runs (five earned) in just four innings, allowing nine hits (including three home runs) and walking one. But Roberts said McCarthy has continued throwing and pitched to hitters at Camelback Ranch in a simulated-game setting this week. He “felt good” after that, Roberts said, showing good velocity in the low 90s and “throwing a lot of strikes” without the “misfires” that characterized his August starts for the Dodgers.

The plan now is for McCarthy to throw another simulated game to Dodgers hitters in Los Angeles, most likely on Tuesday.

“Hopefully he can repeat it and at that time we’ll see where he fits in on our team,” Roberts said. “Obviously when you have the misfires he had, you wonder what the heck is going on. I think where he is now after that last sim game, he feels real good. There really weren’t any bad misfires so I think we’re encouraged.”

Like Anderson and Kazmir, Roberts would not say any final decision has been made about how McCarthy might be used by the Dodgers down the stretch or in the postseason.

“It’s up to Brandon and how he pitches,” Roberts said. “With where we are right now, everything’s on the table. But we’re getting close to the end. We’re still trying to win baseball games. That’s the most important thing. Things have a tendency to work themselves out.”

STEWART START

The Dodgers will choose a rookie over a veteran again Saturday.

Right-hander Brock Stewart will start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, not veteran Bud Norris as Roberts originally announced earlier this week. Roberts explained that Stewart had been held back in case of an injury-shortened start by Clayton Kershaw in New York on Wednesday or Rich Hill in Arizona on Thursday.

“Since he wasn’t needed in those two starts, it makes sense for us to start Brock and Bud will be in the ’pen,” Roberts said.

It makes a lot of sense. Norris has not pitched well against the Diamondbacks. In 10 career appearances against the Diamondbacks (seven starts), Norris is 1-7 with a 12.49 ERA. That includes a 1-4 record and 13.03 ERA in six games at Chase Field. The Diamondbacks have hit .355 against Norris.

“I guess that’s part of the equation,” Roberts said. “But most of it is Brock has thrown the ball well his past two starts and has earned the opportunity.”

In those past two starts (against the Cubs and Diamondbacks at home), Stewart has allowed just one run on seven hits and four walks with nine strikeouts in 10 innings. He didn’t give up a home run in either start after giving up five in his first two starts.

But Stewart has thrown 143 innings this season while progressing from Class-A to the majors and Roberts acknowledged that he is “close” to the innings cap the Dodgers had set for him this season.

“But it’s not always about the number,” Roberts said. “His stuff has actually ticked up a little bit.”

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